Hi everyone, what do you think of the story so far? The book has over 300 chapters. If you'd like to download the complete book, it's available on my Ko-fi page. Here's the link: 👉 🤩 ko-fi.com/winterstar01 🤩
...
Zoro turned and faced Nami in the middle of the fight, almost completely ignoring Kuro, who was struggling. "I hate to admit it," the swordsman said, giving the girl a smug smile. "But that was awesome." His smile morphed into a bloodthirsty grin as he turned back to his enemy, speaking to himself once more before facing him head-on: "I think I'm going to start calling you Weather Witch."
"Time Witch... Why do I like her so much ? " Nami thought before fainting in Luffy's arms, tears of relief and happiness streaming down her cheeks. It was the sweetest thing Zoro had ever said to her... Maybe he wasn't so bad after all .
"Rest, Nami," the boy in the straw hat whispered to the unconscious girl in his arms. The hat obscured his eyes as he carefully rose from his crouched position and began walking back toward the mansion's entrance, rain and blood dripping from his retreating body. His steps felt heavier than usual; the ground almost seemed to tremble beneath the teenager's feet. "Zoro," he said softly; the name cut through the torrential rain as if it didn't exist.
Usopp, shocked, now stood up, as he walked towards the entrance of the house without looking back.
The swordsman needed nothing more. "You heard me," he growled at his opponent. He swung his katanas with a burst of power, knocking a bewildered Kuro off balance. Another flash of lightning illuminated Zoro's figure as he grinned maliciously at the clumsy butler. He wanted blood. The green swordsman sliced his blades at both sides. "Looks like you're going to die."
Kuro turned away from the demon heading toward him; he'd have to use Stealth Foot again. He didn't think he could kill the green-haired swordsman any other way. He looked quite terrifying.
The man grunted to himself at the loss of his original prey. How could he have been so lucky? There was simply no other explanation but luck. It still baffled him that she wasn't dead. And now, she was escaping back to the house. His plan was about to be ruined! All the work of the last two years, for nothing! All because a red-haired brat was too curious for her own good. He needed to finish off his current opponent quickly; she still needed to die. Forget it... Everyone needed to die.
"You know, if we hadn't arrived in time, you'd both be dead," Zoro said from behind Kuro, looking at him with narrowed eyes and an eerily calm voice. The contrast between his facial expression and his tone of voice was striking, making his face all the more terrifying.
The ex-pirate stopped dead in his tracks and turned to snarl at the swordsman. "Of course I know that," Kuro snapped. Being struck by lightning was certain death, that much was common sense. The worst part was that he wouldn't have even known. He still couldn't see properly while using Stealth Foot. "That redhead girl has the devil's luck," he grumbled.
Zoro smiled maliciously at Kuro. "Although I don't doubt she's a lucky girl, something tells me... that nothing I saw was luck. I should know better. I'm a very lucky guy myself," he stated. The swordsman smirked at the indignation reflected on her face as steam continued to rise from her body.
"You can't say she knew where the lightning would strike!" the black-haired man shouted incredulously in the rain. "The very idea is absurd." Kuro frowned once more. It simply wasn't possible. It was impossible that she could have known.
"That's exactly what I mean. Her expression told me so," Zoro replied. The image of Nami smiling sadly at the sky flashed through his mind. It was the face of someone who had accepted death. Probably not willingly, but she accepted it nonetheless. The green swordsman gritted his teeth in anger. He wanted blood. And he wanted it now. It seemed Kitetsu and Wado felt the same way.
He pointed the tip of the Kitetsu, which he held in his left hand, toward Kuro's face. "I don't give a damn why you did it. The only thing that matters is that you did it." He paused and shuddered at the thought of his future captain carrying his bloodied navigator back inside. He'd never seen that expression on Luffy's face, and there was definitely an odd pressure surrounding him... Few things scared the green-haired teenager, but he wouldn't want to be the one to suffer the consequences for his friend right then. "Just be glad it's me and not Luffy," the swordsman declared. And he meant it.
"The little one in the straw hat?" the man sneered as he watched Zoro twirle the sword in his left hand, wielding it like an ice pick. "I'm sure he'll fall into my clutches just like you soon. Once I've killed you and that stupid long-nosed brat," he pointed at Usopp over the teenager's shoulder, leaving him frozen in shock, "the other two..."
"There are days when the sun and the moon divide the sky into two equal halves," Zoro interrupted. He no longer cared what the man said. He wanted blood. He, Kitetsu, and Wado shared the same opinion. "Days when they both create a perfect circle in time," he said, more to himself than to Kuro.
The swordsman extended Kitetsu to his left, still holding it like an ice pick. "One blade represents night." He extended Wado to his right, holding it as one would traditionally hold a katana. "And the other represents day." The backs of his hands pointed toward the sky as he held his swords parallel to the ground. "I'll have to apologize to Kaya for this," he sighed, making sure Kuro heard him.
"There will be no excuses to offer. You will soon die," the ex-pirate retorted, his voice brimming with confidence. The man began to sway from side to side, wasting no more time. Something told him he didn't have much to lose. "Stealthy Foot," Kuro said, vanishing from his position in front of the swordsman.
Zoro took a deep breath. The last time he'd tried it with one hand, it hadn't gone so well. But now, he knew his rage and bloodlust would compensate for any lack of strength. His knuckles turned white from the force with which he gripped Wado and Kitetsu. The swordsman paid no attention to the cuts that began to reappear around the clearing, overlapping some of the existing ones. He closed his eyes and knelt. "Usopp," he shouted to the boy still standing at the end of the path. "Lie down!"
The boy practically crashed into the muddy grass when he heard Zoro's words, his mouth agape. Where on earth had the butler gone? He'd simply vanished! And now cuts were appearing out of nowhere! Dirt and debris were flying everywhere, and the cuts were slashing the surrounding area again, making it look even more devastated than before. He supposed Zoro at least knew why the clearing was so wrecked. Usopp stared at his new friend, his eyes wide. For some reason, his survival instinct told him that if he ignored it, he'd be dead in no time.